The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-18
AN ssACCIDENT. IN ATLANTA.
The Proper Place for the Man who
Carries the Deadly Pistol.
Ne1rs and Courier Editorial.

The later accounts OF the Atlanta
tragedy detract nothing from the
very ugly features of the occurrence,
which are editorially summarized by
the Constitution as follows:
LET US take the case of Mr. Veal,
who killkd Mr.. Horn. Here was a
man of peaceful pursuits, living in a
peaceful town. He was going to
pay visit to a city which was order
ly and we'll policcd. He was going
to spend Sunday in that city. And
yet making this quiet visit on the
quiet day Of the week, he put dead.
ly revolver in his pocket. He is eps
broiled in a casual quarrel, draws
this pistol and shutting his eyes,
pulls the trigger. The ball goes
crashing through the brain of per-
fectlv innocent man who was holding
back the fist that was hammering
him in the face.
But what about Mr.. Horn Here
was a model citizen. A man Of
gentle habits, of kind nature, who
perhaps never saw pistol since the
war closed. He goes to visit friend
at his room. While sitting there, in
comes q stranger who in a moment
is embroiled in a hight. Mr.. Horn,
anxious to preserve the peace, seizes
the arm that is uplifted against the
stranger. In an instant he is killed
by a ball from the pistol Of the man
he is attempting to save.'
A third feature of the affair which
is seriously commented on by the
Constitution and the people of At
lanta is the verdict Of the coroner's
jury, that the killing was "acciden.
tal," which, if accepted as final, as
the Constitution remarks, would have
left the homicide free from all &C.
countability for the killing. For
tunately, the matter will not rest
where the easy.going coroner's jury
left it. Veal has been arrested, and
charged with murder and will be
tried for his life.
Within the past six weeks two men
have been shot in Georgia, Mr..
Reeves in Athens and Mr.. Horn in
Atlanta. In each case the slayer
was an alderman of the city in which
he lived, and each "habitually car
ried pistol hidden in his hip
pocket" This leads our Atlanta
contemporary to say, very justly,
and the remark has been made be.
fore on more than one occasion, that
when s'thc men who make laws and
are sworn to enforce them habitually
violate them, it is time to increase
the penalty for breaking them The
Constitution urges the Georgia Leg
islature to make the carrying of con.
, cceesled ces.led weapons a felony, and de:
clares tEst,~1r1t Will pass bill tc
that end, cit will win and deserve the
gratitude of Georgia for generations
to Gomez Indeed it will, and the
suggestion applies to the Legislatures
and the people of other States with
equal force. It is very sad that il
should require shocking tragedies, al
intervals, to arouse the indignation
of communities, and to impress
upon them the need of enforcing the
law for the protection of human life
but, if they are required, such trag
edies have been had in sufficient
numbers to have produced the desired
effect long ago.
The practice of carrying concealed
weapons, whether habitually or occa
sionally, has been too long winke6
at or too feebly condemned. It vii
never be broken up by imposing
fines on rare or even frequent oc
casions. It is at the bottom of .
great majority Of the more seriou:
crimes that shame our civilization
and that fill the land with mourning
and misery every year. So fagrap
an incentive to crime should itsel
be treated as 9 crime. The mar
who goes armed in peaceable com
munity is a dangerous character, il
not a murderer at heart, and ht
should be treated accordingly. Mild
penalties have siynally failed tc
suppress him; it is time to try efec
tive measures. He has defed the
law already, and is prepared anG
ready to become felon, if oppor
tunity presents. 1t will save min
from committing greater offence
and will save the life of perhaps ar
utterly innocent and inoffensive man
if he be recognized and treated as
felon in fact.
The penitentiary is the only proper
place for tue sneak and bully who
carries g concealed weapon, and be